Friday, November 1, 2013

Don't spit out the window

One of the things I like so much about Korea is the crime rate. Sure there is crime, its everywhere, but here I don't here about people breaking into homes, or kids shooting up a school, or rape or stabbings or kidnappings or any of the above. I am sure it happens. I am not saying that there is no crime here I am just saying that you don't hear about it even a quarter of what you hear in the states. The worst thing that I have been told that happens here is suicide. Ok so that is awful I am not trying to down play it but I have not even heard of one in the month and a half I have been here and yet it is so common in the states. Part of this I assume is the fact that guns are not allowed in Korea. Now I am not trying to get into a political debate because I will say that because of the Country America is we should be allowed to have guns! We at the time of living in the states did not always have a gun in the home but believe me, with all the break ins and there were plenty of times that I mention to Collin that I wish I had one. On one of the streets I lived on back in Colorado there were at least 3 break ins just on my street and I praise God that it was never our home. It is because we have always been able to have guns that we feel with the society we live in we need and want our weapons. However now looking at a Country that doesn't allow them I can see a side of innocence.

Audrey and I went on a walk about a week ago. Collin was working late and we wanted to get some fresh air. As we were walking I saw a very young girl around age 7. She was walking with another girl, probably about the same age, coming home from school. They were walking together alone. The one girl turned off to head into the same apartments I live in and the other kept walking. She was about 50 steps ahead of me and at the end of the road she started walking up the steps to go a cross the bridge. WOW she was at least another 5 minutes from home from where we went separate ways. (I only know this because I know about how long it takes to walk up the stairs, over the bridge, and back down to the nearest apartments. The slow pace that the girl was going would put her at the nearest apartments in about 5 minutes. It is also not out of the ordinary to see young school kids get on the subway alone either. I share this story only because the lack of crime here amazes me and makes me very happy.

Now Don't spit out the window! Yes our biggest crimes lol! Every once in awhile something comes up and the apartment complex makes a building wide announcement over the loud speak. If it is not important then they only announce it in Korean but if it is something that needs to be heard and is really really important they will announce in Korean and then in English. Well for the past 2 days we have had an announcement after 5pm (generally after most people are off work) The announcement has been something like this....

We strive to keep our building nice and clean

and it takes a lot of money to have cleaning done

to the outside of the building. A lot of money for

window cleaning, so don't spit out your window.

Now just like any warning or announcement or print on the drive through cup you know someone did it and that's why they have to say don't do it! Be careful contains hot liquid, Don't place in or near water (hair dryers) Keep out of Children's reach (plastic bags)...... and so on. Just a shame. I am waiting for the announcement of follow house rules because the Americans that live below you don't appreciate you stomping around and moving furniture at 2am, or This is a none smoking facility and the Americans above you with the small child doesn't appreciate your smoke coming from your balcony to theirs.

Anyway if there is one thing I have learned while I have been here is Don't spit out a window cause it cost too much money to clean them.